COLUMBUS, OHIO—For 15 years, the U.S. has owned Mexico at home in World Cup qualifying, racking up four successive 2-0 wins, several of them in the sort of withering cold that descended on Mapfre Stadium just before kickoff Friday night.

Two hours later, that streak came to a bitter end as Mexico captain Rafael Marquez headed home an 89th-minute game-winning goal to send the Americans to a 2-1 loss, their first at home in World Cup qualifying since 2001.

Until the final minutes, it looked like the game would play out the way a battle between two of the top teams from this part of the world would be expected to. Mexico dominated in the first half with precision passing and a smothering pressing attack. Then the Americans used a combination of history, anger and desperation to even the score early in the second half and put Mexico on its heels.

The best young U.S. stars, Christian Pulisic and Bobby Wood, who are cutting their teeth in Germany’s Bundesliga, did all they could to give the Americans a lead, creating a series of chances that came oh-so-close. But it wasn’t to be, and Marquez was left open on the near post off a corner kick to deliver the team known as “El Tri” what it hasn’t gotten on U.S. soil this century.

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